Obituary Dell Raybould
October 8th, 1933 - March 2nd, 2023
Delmar Hunt Raybould passed away peacefully on March 2, 2023. He was born October 8, 1933, to Leland E and Mary Hunt Raybould in Rexburg, Idaho. He grew up working on the family farm near Sugar City and rented land so he could earn enough money to buy a car and pay for college. He graduated from Madison High School in 1951, then attended Ricks College. He and his brother, John, purchased their grandmother’s farm in Hibbard, Idaho, and began a partnership, Raybould Brothers Farms.
Dell married Vera Mae Mortensen on November 10, 1955, in the Idaho Falls Temple. They moved to the farm in Hibbard where they worked and raised their family. Their neighbors quickly became lifelong friends.
Besides the farm in Hibbard, Dell rented the Lewis Farm on the Rexburg Bench and later purchased a farm in Egin, Idaho. He was influential in the potato industry, serving in leadership positions on both the state and national levels. He was also an innovator, creating equipment and parts when he couldn’t find exactly what he needed. He sold some of his designs and held three farm machinery patents.
With good partners, Dell started successful businesses in Madison County including Tri County Equipment, which sold farm implements, and Sun-Glo of Idaho, a potato processing and fresh pack facility.
Dell was protective of Idaho’s resources and served on the Committee of Nine, safeguarding Idaho’s water rights. He was a member of the board for the Consolidated Farmers Canal Company for 68 years. He continued to work for Idaho in the State House of Representatives for 18 years, serving on and chairing several committees and was instrumental in passing several bills.
He was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held multiple callings including bishop, high councilor, and stake president.
He is survived by his son, Jeffery (Vickie) Raybould, daughter Valerie (Mark) Bodily, and daughter Kathryn (Todd) Erikson, 14 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, his sister, Mary Lee, his brother, John, and two granddaughters.
The family would like to thank the staff at The Homestead for their care and compassion.
